How One Favorite Brand is Giving Decor Advice to New York City's Mayor

Gracie Mansion is getting a modern update. This article originally appeared on housebeautiful.com.

Newly-elected New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and his family got help from a favorite home decor retailer as they prepared to move into the official mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, from their Park Slope, Brooklyn, row house. West Elm donated furniture and accessories to the Gracie Mansion Conservancy to help modernize the house, which was built in 1799. And since it was donated to the conservancy, the pieces will serve future First Families.

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While the public spaces of the mansion were untouched, many of the private rooms used by the family were given an update. First Lady Chirlaine McCray and the lead Home Stylist from West Elm's Chelsea store, Johanna Mele, collaborated on the project to reflect the family's personal style, but still maintain the historic character of the home. "Gracie Mansion will always be the People's House, but Bill, Chiara, Dante, and I are excited to call it home. With assistance from West Elm, we are honoring and preserving one of the nation's great historic residences, while turning Gracie into a modern living space that fits our family. We've moved to a new borough, but we brought some Brooklyn flavor with us," the First Lady told West Elm Creative Director Vanessa Holden on the brand's Front + Main blog.